Hands in tank vs gloves?

[Mschmidt]

Gloves every time. Sharp rock, sharp algae, zoo or paly toxin, coral chemical warfare, plus my hands always have something dinged (dogs, gardening, drums, DIY), there's just too many things that can go wrong. I find I have plenty of fine motor control with fingers personally but to each their own.

Elbow length or **** IMO lol

https://t.ly/U31Lo

those look similar to mine, maybe the fingers are thinner though.

 

[Lavey29]

Au natural

 

[Patx]

How i should...

How i really do...

 

[HudsonReefer2.0]

I try to keep my dominant reef arm free of harsh soaps or chemicals and wear gloves when I do use them for cleaning or house work. As for the tank , no, just a wash w some dawn blue soap w the duck on it, rinse well and in it goes. Not a fan of the glove. Unless fragging zoas. And even then.

 

[dadnjesse]

There have been posts on here of a gentleman handling Zoas and palys and rubbed his eye He was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery
I think he is mostly blind in that eye.
Also another member spent time in hospital with a swollen hand he could have lost it and the infection came from his reef. We should all be wearing gloves when doing maintenance inside our reefs . But I am guilty of sometimes straight in without gloves. There’s that many toxins and bacteria in are reefs we should take more care imo
More info from @Fish Styx

That same thing can happen from a bee sting or other insect bite, even plants like poison ivy. I just stick my hands in and have been for 15 years.

 

[NeedAReef]

As someone on weekly chemo, protection is critical. My problem as a new reefer is finding the right full arm gloves for a petite woman where they don’t go over my head and more importantly the fingers aren’t huge - cause you have to be able to pickup small things on the sand and rocks sometimes and tongs/tweezers aren’t working,

Ok seasoned reefers - looking for recommendations on actual product I can purchase!

Thanks OP for bringing up the topic

might try those grabbers if you can like people use to pick up trash etc. that could help someone in your situation.
https://www.amazon.com/grabbers-seniors/s?k=grabbers+for+seniorsok that is literally grabbers for seniors, not trying to offend it was all I could come up with for a search criteria. I am sure there are ones better suited for a tank though, you get the idea I am sure.

 

[EricR]

Au natural

Yep,,, same.
I like the idea of gloves and/or just keeping hands out of tank as much as possible BUT:
...doesn't work for me so bare hands/arms in tank way too often is where I'm at

 

[FishPham]

I know I should wear gloves but most of the time I go straight into the tank without thinking about it and just follow through without them. Need to develop better habits lol.

 

[ESABOE]

might try those grabbers if you can like people use to pick up trash etc. that could help someone in your situation.
https://www.amazon.com/grabbers-seniors/s?k=grabbers+for+seniorsok that is literally grabbers for seniors, not trying to offend it was all I could come up with for a search criteria. I am sure there are ones better suited for a tank though, you get the idea I am sure.

No offense taken! Maxspect has some reef grabbers that look pretty much like those. I still need a full-arm glove that hopefully has finger section that isn’t so cumbersome. Based on the responses thus far - I don’t know that they exist.

Appreciate you taking the time to do a quick search

 

[ESABOE]

I usually wear my full arm length gloves. This was hard to make the switch but after a few mo the I am very used to it now.

Do you have a link or remember the brand?

 

[ESABOE]

I'm usually bare, unless I'm removing GHA by my anemones then gloves go on.

May I ask what kind or our you just using the regular latex gloves nurses/dr wear?

 

[JayM]

Gloves are certainly a best practice. But considering that I’ve worked with my hands my entire life, and exposed to countless chemicals, disease and injury, I’m pretty much unconcerned about anything that may be in my tank.

Come to think of it, I’m probably more likely to hurt it than it hurt me.

 

[Totroc3]

I’ve been in the hobby for 45 years and never worn gloves even when handling zoa’s and paly’s. I always wash my hands before and after working in my tanks. I do have a pair of thick rubber gloves in case one of my fish get stuck in a net. Luckily it hasn’t happened….yet.

 

[Brian1f1]

There have been posts on here of a gentleman handling Zoas and palys and rubbed his eye He was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery
I think he is mostly blind in that eye.
Also another member spent time in hospital with a swollen hand he could have lost it and the infection came from his reef. We should all be wearing gloves when doing maintenance inside our reefs . But I am guilty of sometimes straight in without gloves. There’s that many toxins and bacteria in are reefs we should take more care imo
More info from @Fish Styx

Permanently blind?! This is confirmed?

 

[SpyC]

Always gloves. Vinyl for if my entire hand isn't in the tank. Shoulder length for if I will be.

 

[Brian1f1]

No gloves, 25 years, no issues but lots of potential for them. I think I've been lucky. Contemplating starting to glove...

 

[Brian1f1]

Anyone have a link for shoulder length reusables they actually like?

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Do you have a preference for wearing gloves when putting your hands in the water or nah? I usually go gloves because I put on hand lotion but it can really be a pain.

I usually do not wear gloves. Though I do know it is a risk. I just make sure my hands have been cleaned with water only, and that I have no wounds. Wounds are the big deal because of all the known bacteria in the tank. I do not work well with gloves on.

 

[DanyL]

Only time I ever use gloves is when mixing 2-part epoxy.

Everything else, including handling known toxic specimens of palys I do with bare hands. Just wash them clean, and in we go.

In 16 years I’ve never even thought of using gloves tbh.